Masked
by Italicised
Summary: Before Link was chosen as Zelda's appointed knight, he spent his time secretly doing good deeds for the people of Hyrule. While they didn't know who he was, they endearingly referred to him as "Robin Hood." Zelink - written from Zelda's perspective.
1. Chapter 1

Robin Hood.

Not exactly like the one from the fairy tale. At least, there had been no reports of this mysterious Hylian - rumors had it, a Castle Town native - breaking into Hyrule Castle to steal gold and give to the poor. No, his feats tended to be more along the lines of rescuing cats from trees, recovering stolen valuables, delivering medicine or food in the middle of the night. But as of yet, no one had seen his face, or heard his name.

It had been a couple years since the stories began. Whoever it was, the teenage Zelda was grateful for him. The King was stressed, she was stressed, the Sheikah were stressed; the signs of Calamity Ganon returning were clear. No one could deny it any longer. But, as 'Robin Hood' had shown everyone, it was no reason to not continue living; instead, all the more reason to continue helping where you could.

Zelda, on a particularly nice day in the summer, was on her way to Hateno for some errands. The weather was perfect for traveling, and escaping from her Princess duties was so refreshing that she'd spent probably _too_ long wandering through the trees, enjoying the way the sun filtered through the leaves. Her guards, who she had reassured she would meet there, were no doubt worried for her, and searching. After all, evening had settled in comfortably, and Zelda soon found herself in the woods with no sense of direction.

Typically, she wasn't scared. Hyrule had always been a safe place. But monsters could still jump out and surprise her, and her only option would be to run. For whatever reason, maybe to feign confidence or just to break the silence of the encroaching nighttime, she began whistling as she wandered through the trees. This was her land, after all, and she looked after it like no others; avoiding stepping on insects or flowers, touching the trees gently as she passed, and offering her thanks for allowing her to venture within the woods safely.

But even Hyrule had never really been prepared for what Ganon would bring. The Yiga were plentiful in these woods lately, and it was they who revealed themselves to her, stepping out calmly from behind the trees as Zelda found herself in a meadow. Her whistling halted abruptly as she came to a slow stop, trying to count how many lean shadows stood around her.

When she got to five, a hand covered her mouth, and her shriek of surprise was muffled out by the Yiga's strength. The cold metal of his sickle rested at her neck, and she attempted to calm herself - she was the princess, after all, surely they knew that and wouldn't kill her outright - but then again, the yiga weren't in it for money or fame. It was a simple bloodthirsty allegiance to Ganon. Her hands grasped the Yiga's, a tight grip that loosened when he spoke.

"We won't kill you," he hissed, "not _here._ Master Kohga will deal with you directly, as a ritual to Ganon."

So she had some time. But not much. At least the chances of the guards finding her were higher.

"I think you'll find you won't be killing her at all," a male voice broke out through the trees - definitively _not_ Yiga, Zelda observed, but also not one of her guards. A Hateno native? Maybe another off-duty soldier? Her eyes scanned the woods, but saw no one besides the other clan members, who had begun to creep around in attempt to find the outlier.

The next thing they heard was the unmistakeable whistle of an arrow flying through the air. Zelda barely had a moment to react as the man holding her was struck directly in the forehead; his mask cracked, revealing an aged face, and he fell backwards, knocked out. The sickle fell to the grass next to Zelda, and she stepped away from it and the Yiga hurriedly.

Dismay spread through the other members.

"Quick! _Get her!"_

"Who's there?"

"Show yourself!"

Whoever it was did not show themselves. More arrows were fired, each finding their mark, even as the Yiga ran at top-speed towards Zelda, hands outstretched. She dodged nimbly as their bodies fell around her, but their numbers seemed endless.

"These guys don't know when to quit," the voice sighed, suddenly much closer - in fact, right behind her. Zelda went to turn to see who it was, but was distracted by another Yiga running directly at the two of them; a hand reached around her waist, pulling her sideways and deftly sliding a rope around and under her arm. Effectively, she had been secured to her savior, but still he didn't allow her a look at his face.

They flew off to the side as he fired a grappling arrow. It propelled them into the woods - a hand reached up to withdraw the arrow from the tree branch it had struck - and a moment later they had hit the ground running.

"Keep up!" he urged, loosening the rope around them to give her more room, and she realised after a moment that the voice was not that of an adult man. He sounded young, like, her age, young.

They ran for what felt like far too long before reaching the outskirts of Hateno. Panting, hands resting on her knees, Zelda was exhausted - but also exhilarated. When she regained her composure and looked to see who had saved her, the young man - just barely her height - had covered his eyes with his hand. Tufts of blonde hair had escaped from his hood, part of a larger poncho that seemed too big on him, caught beneath the leather straps holding his bow and quiver. She cocked her head at him.

"Thank you, stranger," she said, figuring that was the most important thing to start off with. "Please - you know who I am - if you require any assistance, tell me who you are, and I can help you."

"I'm usually the one helping people," the figure replied with a soft laugh, shaking his head.

"Even better," Zelda urged, a hopeful smile on her face, but again he shook his head. The girl frowned.

"At least, tell me your name?"

"It doesn't have the same effect if everyone knows who I am," he replied, and it was then that Zelda noticed he was purposefully keeping his voice quiet. The realisation hit her all at once - good archery, mysterious persona, out at the middle of the night helping people -

"You're the Robin Hood everyone's talking about!" she exclaimed, and the man's head dipped somewhat. "Oh, please - as Princess of Hyrule, let me offer my thank-you for what you do for the people!"

"Your gratitude tonight is more than enough," he replied, and dipped down into a kneel. "I work inspired by you, Princess, and your love for Hyrule. I don't need thanks, or fame, or any other public service."

Zelda was impressed, but disappointed all the same. His hand was no longer covering his eyes, but instead rested on his knee as he stared at the ground near her feet, his face shadowed by his hood.

"If I wasn't Princess, I would join you," she admitted with a sad laugh, not noticing the man's head jerk upwards somewhat in surprise. "I have so many duties to Hyrule, but… to be able to affect people's quality of life directly in such a way, without having to awkwardly accept thank-yous and all the royal proceedings… I'm glad you're taking advantage of it."

"Princess!"

The yells came from her guards, who had been patrolling the outskirts of Hateno. Zelda turned to see them running towards her from the woods, and when she looked back, the young man was gone.

"Are you okay? Who was that? He jumped off into the woods, shall I pursue him?"

"I'm fine, thank-you," Zelda replied, unable to hide her disappointment. "No… that won't be necessary. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Sleep did not come easily for her that night, and Zelda found herself tossing and turning in Hateno's inn, dreaming of arrows and flying through the forest canopy, arm-in-arm with a complete stranger. Curiosity didn't sit well with the Princess, but in time she drifted off to sleep, unaware that Hyrule's Robin Hood would be paying extra attention to her from that moment on.


	2. Robin Hood

Zelda did not get as much sleep as she would have hoped, but nonetheless, the next morning she was up early to peruse the local markets and fruit stands. Hateno in particular had a dye shop, and she had a dress she needed dyed white in preparation for one of the biggest events of the year - an annual gala. It had a different theme each year, and this time around, it would be a masquerade.

The town was bustling, a little louder and a little happier than usual. She took shelter in the dye shop from the sun, waiting for Sayge to finish putting together a few bottles of white dye.

"So, what did I miss?" she asked absently, glancing over her shoulder at the shorter man. "Everyone seems quite… talkative today."

"Oh, heh - that Robin Hood visited us last night. Brought some medicine and sweets for the kids."

Zelda blinked. So the mysterious stranger from last night was definitely the same Robin Hood going around doing good deeds in Hyrule…

"He comes and goes, you know," Sayge continued, grinding up more Hylian rice. "Always leaves it on the windowsills so we know it was him. Brings flowers for me wife sometimes, lil bastard. She's smitten over the guy now." 

"Looks like you're going to have to step up your game," Zelda laughed, and Sayge chuckled to himself before corking the bottles and handing them over to her in a basket.

"So it would seem! Oh, and Princess, be safe going back into town. Lots of Yiga on the roads lately. Say they're gettin' ready for the… you know what."

Zelda's cheerful expression faded as she looked back at the man. He had a familiar expression on his face, one she had seen on many of the adults of Hyrule - like they were already defeated. At first it was heartbreaking, but then she found herself having to fight to ignore the bitter taste in her mouth. She was working incredibly hard to be prepared in time for Ganon - didn't they realise that? Of course it wouldn't be easy, but she had enough doubts on her own - hearing it from the people like that wasn't any help for her morale.

"Right," she replied quietly, "thank you Sayge, I will make sure the guards are vigilant as ever."

The day went quietly then, and Zelda took some time to enjoy the peaceful scenery around Hateno before collecting the guards to head home. She wasn't overly excited for the masquerade now that she thought of it, but at least it would be a distraction from the ridiculous amount of prayer and studying her father had been nagging her over lately. Even just this trip to Hateno had been like a vacation… I wish I could stay out here a bit longer. It was so peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of Castletown.

Due to Zelda's mishaps with the Yiga on their way to Hateno, the palace guards decided that for the way back, she would join them on horseback. Reluctantly, she sat behind one of the guards as they rode in formation back through the trees. The valley was foggy and the poor visibility had the knights on full alert as they made their way. Zelda clutched her basket close, feeling sleepy in the quiet and the lulling of the palace horse trotting away down the path.

It wasn't long before they had company.

Where the road narrowed nearby, partially covered by steep cliffs on either side, the Yiga had set up a blockade - but strangely enough, they were already in the middle of a battle.

More yiga surrounded them as they rode in, having nowhere else to go - Zelda stayed close to the knight atop the horse as the several Yiga men surrounded them, but she couldn't help peeking over her shoulder at the other blockade. A cloaked figure was fighting them, three on one, using nothing but his hands and occasionally a quick arrow fired at point-blank. His face was hooded, but the poncho and tufts of blonde hair were familiar. Zelda recognized him immediately - it was Hyrule's Robin Hood - again. But more Yiga arrived from in the fog, and he was soon outnumbered. Zelda's heart sank as her eyes swept over the various yiga shadows emerging from the cliffs. They were all outnumbered.

"Be careful!" she yelled in warning to the stranger, as a Yiga snuck up from behind; he looked back over his shoulder, and in the dim of the fog, Zelda could see a flash of blue. Her eyes widened as she watched him unsheath a sword, hidden previously beneath his poncho. He didn't bring it out completely, instead pulling just enough to hit the yiga in the stomach with the hilt and send him flying backwards, before sheathing the weapon again.

What - was that -

She had no time to gather her thoughts. He seemed to realise their odds of success as much as she did. Her knights had dismounted in an attempt to fight the Yiga, leaving Zelda alone on a palace horse. The hooded man noticed this, and in swift movements, ducked and ran beneath the Yiga and the knights until he had swung up around the horse's neck. It bucked, but only briefly - Zelda would have fallen if not for one hand swinging back and catching her belt. Her basket and dyes clattered to the ground as the horse reared, neighing and pawing at the air.

The Yiga and the Knights both yelled in unison.

"Princess!"

"No- get her!"

But it was too late. The palace horse, clearly happy to be given a way out of the fighting, leapt over a tall Yiga man attempting to block the way, and took off into the woods. Zelda clung to the stranger in front of her, though at the moment she felt quite conflicted - was she being kidnapped or rescued? Either way, she felt a certain amount of trust for the 'Robin Hood' of Hyrule, and wherever they were headed was likely safer than the conflict back on the path.

They rode for at least a few hours, zigzagging through the trees and navigating the occasional rocky terrain until finally coming to stop under some trees surrounded by cliffs. Zelda dismounted without a word. She was happy to be off of the horse.

The man - still facing away from her - slapped the horse's rump and it took off running back the way they had come. Zelda's jaw dropped.

"What - why did you-"

"All of the main roads leading back to the castle have been blockaded," he interrupted her, his voice still quiet as she remembered. He turned from her, pulling his hood further over his face. "We're going to have to take a really roundabout way back to the castle. I'll escort you there."

Zelda's patience was wearing thin. She tried to ignore the stress that was building within her.

"You'll get me there?"

"Yes."

He began gathering bits of firewood from the trees around them, being sure to not look in her direction.

"H-how long will it take?"

"Well, we're on foot, so a couple days."

"Why- why would you-"

"Hyrule needs a princess," he replied, and Zelda could hear a smile on his voice as he struck flint together overtop of a pile of wood. It lit fast, and all she could do was stare - he really knew his way around the outdoors. It was quiet for a moment besides the evening birds singing away. Zelda was trying to get a hold of her thoughts, but she had far too many questions.

"Do you know how to get back to Hyrule? I completely lost sense of direction on that ride."

"Good," he exclaimed, letting out a groan as he sat down onto the grass by the fire. "That means they won't find us. And yeah, I know where we are. Don't worry."

Zelda could do nothing but stand and stare. Was this guy for real? He didn't seem like a full-grown man - he sounded and looked more like her age, maybe a few inches taller than her, and all of this made her less wary. But still, he was hiding his face.

She headed to the fire and took a seat next to the stranger. It seemed to surprise him, and he shuffled to the side a tiny bit.

"Are you really not going to let me see your face for two days?"

"Really," he replied bluntly.

"What if I look at your face while you're sleeping?"

"Please don't," he sighed, sounding vaguely embarrassed. "You wouldn't remember, but we've met before."

"Why wouldn't I remember? I'm pretty good with faces," Zelda asserted with a smile.

"You wouldn't remember meeting me, but you would recognize me," he said simply, causing Zelda to fall silent. There was no use trying to remember individuals through all the people she'd met. And as for young men… there had been many over the years, knight trainees, castle volunteers… Still, she found herself disheartened in him mentioning that she wouldn't remember meeting him. She wanted to be thought of as a better Princess than that.

"You met me and fifty others on the same day," he finally added, as if to reassure her. Zelda blinked.

"So… you're a knight trainee?"

"Was."

"A drop-out?"

"Not exactly."

She was perplexed.

"But - is that why you don't let anyone see your face?"

"Ehh."

The conversation wasn't going anywhere, and they both seemed to notice it. He clearly wasn't interested in helping her narrow down his identity.

"Is there something I can call you in the meantime?"

"Robin Hood is fine," he replied with a hint of humour in his voice. Zelda hugged her arms around her legs. Useless. Before long, Robin muttered a small goodnight and laid down in the grass - hood covering his entire face - and was, as far as Zelda was aware, sleeping. She desperately wanted to lift his hood and see his face, but she was too scared that he was either still awake, or would wake up when she did so - or worse, would be someone she didn't want to see.

She resigned herself to not knowing, and curled up next to the fire herself, watching the flames flicker and lick at the night sky before finally falling asleep.

Morning came too soon. Not that she had been comfy laying on the grass, but she felt like she could have slept for much longer - she had been dreaming of a shining blue sword. It reminded her of what she'd seen the day before. Robin had drawn a sword - one he was hiding beneath his poncho - and the light it emitted… was otherworldly. What was he hiding? And not just from her, but from Hyrule then as well - she knew of the Sword that Sealed the Darkness. Besides the other obvious signs of Calamity Ganon returning, if the sword had chosen a hero… that was invaluable information.

As she sat up, trying to ignore the pain from sleeping on the ground all night, she could see Robin cooking mushrooms over the fire that he had relit. Before long, he had a more than a few skewers set up. She looked at him, and only caught a brief glimpse of a sharp jawline and long eyelashes before he pulled his hood forward again. His hand shot out a second later, offering her a skewer with meat and mushrooms on it.

"Thanks," Zelda said quietly and with a bit of surprise. They ate in silence, and as soon as they were done, he stood up and brushed dirt off his trousers.

"Time to go."

Their journey was somewhat uneventful. Once, they stopped on a high cliff and peeked over to see the main road, near Ash Swamp, where they could see the yiga set up on a bridge. Other travelers were stopped, and then allowed to pass - but there was clearly some trade going on.

"They're demanding funds," Robin said quietly. Zelda nodded, fingers gripping the stone edge of the cliff tightly in her frustration.

"And the Princess of Hyrule is missing," she hissed, "just great."

"You're alive," Robin replied, looking now towards the Dueling Peaks. "I'll get us home tomorrow."

"You don't understand," Zelda protested, "I'd much rather be able to look after myself. Usually I do just fine."

"I do understand. And usually isn't now," he retorted, sounding upset. "There's a massive organized force trying to take you down and you think you could just walk alone in the forest without consequence?"

"It never used to be an issue," she argued, but she knew where it was headed already.

"It is now. If you want to stay Princess, you need to realise your vulnerabilities and keep yourself safe."

She was quiet for a bit after that. What did he know about oweing your duty and life to the people - all of them? What did he know of the pressures she faced just for being born as who you were?

They left the stone outcropping and headed further along the ridges - Zelda had never done so much climbing in her life, but she was fit enough to keep up, and funneled her frustrations with him to her climbing. He was always ahead of her, which she assumed he did on purpose to keep her from seeing his face. Even in the heat of the sun, he didn't let his hood down, and she could see him wiping sweat from his forehead occasionally. Finally, when she had calmed down from their previous chat, she let her curiosity seep through.

"Can I ask… why are you doing all of this, this Robin Hood stuff?"

"I always felt like it was my duty to help Hyrule," he replied with a grunt, heaving himself up another cliff.

"A lot of people knight trainees do," Zelda replied with a smile, "but most of them want the fame that comes with it, too."

He shrugged as she clambered up behind him.

"I don't feel accomplishment from that."

"That's very admirable."

Robin almost turned to look at her then, but Zelda could see that he stopped himself just before turning all the way around. A breeze flew past them, pushing her blonde hair sideways and his poncho in the wind. The sheath of his sword was visible for barely a moment before disappearing again. Zelda could tell that both of them were thinking the same thing.

"Robin… your sword-"

"Is a family heirloom," he cut her off, "and very important to me. It's not used or taken out needlessly."

"Could I see it?" she asked, but he only began walking again. Again she wanted to snap at him - she was growing more and more impatient with his hiding everything. As the day wore on, they stopped once for lunch, and then kept moving, mostly silent - the occasional Bokoblin or stray Yiga got in their way, but Robin quickly dispatched them and kept moving like it was nothing. If he had been a knight trainee like he said, he must have been one of Hyrule's best. It was a shame to hear that he was no longer in the program, but Zelda didn't know how much he'd told her that was really true.

As evening fell, and they passed behind the dueling peaks and around to Hyrule Field, Zelda could finally see Hyrule Castle in the distance again. They settled on a cliffside near Deya Village - unfortunately it wouldn't be safe in town, since the Yiga were patrolling everywhere. At the very least, the fire Robin lit was warm, and they had the evening stars and Hyrule Castle as a backdrop.

"Robin - thank you for helping me," Zelda said, finally breaking her silence from the last couple hours. "I would have been taken if it wasn't for you. Seems the knights need more training."

"You don't have to thank me," he said quietly, "I was born to serve the royal family."

"Wh- what?" Zelda exclaimed suddenly. "You… you're in the royal guard?"

"Was. I don't know what I am now."

"So then let me thank you properly," she pleaded, but the young man only shook his head and sighed, pulling his hood tighter as the evening wind picked up.

"Do as you like."

It wasn't the answer she wanted. But then again, Zelda had no idea what answer she was looking for - she only knew that she was disappointed, curious ever more as to who he really was. Her frustration got the better of her again, and she laid down, facing up and staring at the stars as she willed herself to sleep. But it proved far too difficult - Robin laid down shortly after and clearly had no issue falling asleep. She watched him briefly - sword, bow, and quiver lying in front of him, his hood still pulled over his face, back against the fire. There was no need for him to hide himself from her. At this point, she wasn't sure yet if she could trust him - he was an ex knight-trainee, and ex-royal guard, so what did that make him? A runaway? What if he was really taking her into a trap? She doubted that - her gut told her that she could trust him - but her patience was wearing thin with the secrets.

Part of her wanted to take his sword with her, but she decided against it, and headed out unarmed into Hyrule Field.

I'll be okay. This is my Hyrule.


	3. The Chosen Hero

Hyrule field looked much different at night. During a sunny day, it looked like paradise - full of wildflowers in bloom, breezy and quiet. Now, as Zelda found her ways through the tall grass, she was just grateful that it was a clear night. Without the moon, she wouldn't be able to see a thing - and despite all of her previous courage, the further she got from Robin, the more and more it faded away. He was likely still fast asleep. If anything happened, there would be no one around her to help.

No - it's no use thinking like that, she reminded herself, I have to be more self-reliant.

It didn't help that she had no combat training, nor no weapon to defend herself with. Was it any use being 'self-reliant' with no resources? She could run, but she had never even been a particularly fast runner. As she passed Lake Kolomo and spotted a camp of sleeping Yiga nearby, she let out a sigh. What if she'd made a grave mistake? At least, seeing Hyrule Castle looming in the distance was reassuring. She wasn't that far.

She distracted herself by thinking about Robin as she walked. He had saved her once - no, twice already, from the Yiga forces. Had he been following her? He was born into the royal guard, but… from what he'd said, was no longer part of it… Zelda shook her head. What was becoming of Hyrule if someone that talented found it necessary to leave the royal guard, to leave knight training? But he was supposedly loyal if he was looking after her so well… then again, not being able to see his face was worrying. What if he really was yiga?

She pushed the thought away. No… he had what must have been the sword that seals the darkness… but what if it made a mistake? There were too many questions. And there'd be no answering them, not yet. She had to get home first.

By the time she saw the Yiga patrolling the sacred grounds, it was already too late. Their patrols had caught wind of her earlier, and even as she ducked into the grass and stayed perfectly still, it was no use. Their footsteps surrounded her, and Zelda panicked, trying to run - but ropes caught both of her wrists and dragged her backwards.

"No! Help!" she yelled as loud as she possibly could, hoping maybe, just maybe, a nearby knight patrol could hear her. Three yiga wrestled her to the ground, pinning her as her wrists and ankles until they were tied together, and finally she was flipped, laying on her back on the grass. Before she could yell again, one of them held a sickle to her throat, cold steel pressing softly against her neck.

"Ssssh," he cooed, "don't wanna wake up all of Castle Town, now. You're gonna answer some questions."

Of all the challenges she'd had as Princess, this was the toughest so far. Zelda felt like she was having an out of body experience. She couldn't process that she was being threatened - her life was being threatened - if she didn't answer. All she could do was grit her teeth, fight the tears escaping from her eyelashes, and think about home. Mom, why is this happening?

"What do you want?" she snapped, her voice shaking despite her efforts to sound angry. She was terrified, but what the yiga said next surprised her so much, she nearly snapped out of it.

"Tell us where the Chosen Hero is."

The… chosen… hero?

"We know he was traveling with you!"  
"We saw his sword."  
"He's Ganon's only threat."

She almost fought back then - what do you mean, Ganon's only threat? - but her thoughts were preoccupied. The Chosen Hero. She had seen Robin's sword, too. The way it glowed was just like in the texts she'd studied. And if Calamity Ganon was returning, as all these yiga made it seem… not to mention the influx of monsters lately… that would be the next natural step. But… Robin - an ex knight trainee, a man of the royal guard who was… well, probably her age, having the sword? And not telling anyone? Could he be the hero - is that why he left?

"I don't know what I am now."

His words echoed in her mind, but the feeling of sharp silver pressing against her collarbone brought her back to the present.

"Well!?"

"I don't know," she finally admitted, absently struggling against the rope tied tightly around her wrists, "I left him a few hours ago. He's probably long gone by now."

The yiga's nostrils flared.

"Well, where was he?"

"South," she answered a little too quickly, "that's all I know. I don't know outside of the castle very well."

"Useless," one of the older yiga hissed, "let's just kill her before she slips out of our grasp again."

The yiga holding a sickle to her next hummed - he was clearly thinking about it. Zelda's eyes widened.

"Master Kohga wouldn't be happy, but better you're dead than escaping… although you do make a good trap for the Chosen Hero."

"He'd just beat you again," Zelda protested, and the yiga laughed.

"Don't you remember you two running away last time? But then again, I'm impatient. I say we end it."

There was a muttered chorus of agreement from behind him. Zelda struggled against the ropes, and the yiga pressed his sickle further into her skin - she let out a muffled "mm-" as a hand covered her mouth and she felt several drops of blood trickle down her neck.

"Can't have you screaming if I can't kill you in one hit," the yiga said with a malicious tone, tilting his head at her, "with a weapon like this, it might take a few before it's over."

Zelda was sure she would have cried if fear hadn't taken over every part of her body. No, no, no, no- this can't be how it ends - this is all my fault, I never should have left him, and he's the Chosen Hero- a vision of Robin fighting Ganon alone with the sword flashed into her mind. That couldn't be it. No. She was supposed to seal away the calamity. She had yet to even awaken her power, and now she was going to die as a broken Princess… broken. Not to mention, it wouldn't even be a fast death - the princess of Hyrule, brutally stabbed to death, a mere hours trip from Hyrule Castle…

The yiga wound up, his arm lifting and the sickle glinting in the light of dawn. Zelda shut her eyes tight, but the pain never came. Metal clashed with metal, and when her eyes shot open, she finally saw it - glowing bright blue in the morning light, the sword that sealed the darkness was wielded ahead of her, by - unmistakably - Robin. He flipped it deftly in his hand, deflecting two more attacks and sending the offenders running. When he turned to her, she still couldn't make out his face, just a pair of bright eyes under his hood and messy blonde hair. He used a fallen sickle to cut her ropes, then helped her stand, and - for just a brief moment - held her close enough that she could smell his hair. It was nice.

"Reckless," he muttered in her ear, and then turned quite quickly again to face off with the yiga. The rest of the camp had come by now, surrounding them - though there were only maybe 10 or 12 of them, it was still far too many for him to take down on his own.

"I hope you have a plan," she said quietly, standing back to back with him.

"You're one to talk."

Despite his sarcastic remark, it seemed Robin did have a plan, as Zelda heard neighing from nearby. A platoon of castle knights had approached and were surrounding the yiga, who panicked immediately. Some used smoke bombs to disappear, others tried to run, and several were captured or straight-up killed by the knights.

"Princess!"

The knights ran to her. She smiled, but when she looked back at Robin, she saw them drawing their swords on him - and he was ready to fight back? Why?

"Stop- stop!" she protested, as they clashed; his bright blue sword had been knocked away, and one of the knights kicked him to the ground.

"Stop!"

Unfortunate as it was, Zelda knew her knights. Whether or not she ordered them to do something, it would always be a moment too late; too many of them were corrupt, happy with a position of power over others. She was fed up.

As the knight readied another kick, Zelda jumped in between them; hard metal hit her back, and she fell forwards into Robin, who caught her hurriedly but fell all the same. They toppled into the grass, and Zelda grimaced at the pain searing through her back from the armored boot.

"Princess!"

She could feel Robin's hands holding tight to her, even as she was dragged back upwards by the knights. She reached back for a second, and caught only a glimpse of worried bright blue eyes before Robin, too, was lifted up by the knights, his hair falling back down and covering his face.

"Princess - why-"

"He saved- my life-" she stammered, still winded somewhat from the kick to her back. "By my orders, no harm will come to him," she finally said, quite breathlessly.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" the knights asked Robin, shaking him as they held him up by his arms. He didn't look up, even as Zelda watched, desperately wanted to go to him - anything but these knights.

"I'll see you at the masquerade," was all he said. They left in two separate parties then. Zelda needed medical attention, and there would be no use fighting the guards on it. Robin, meanwhile, would surely end up in the dungeons… but she could visit him later and talk to her father about the sword, and him being the Chosen Hero… yeah. It'll be fine...

Zelda woke in the evening that day, tucked neatly into her bed with a warm compress still on her forehead. Fresh flowers had been placed on her nightstand, and as she sat up, a shuffling nearby told her she wasn't alone in her room.

"Father," she breathed with a smile, seeing the King come around the corner from her four poster bed.

"Zelda. I'm glad to see you finally awake," he sighed in relief, sitting down on the edge of her bed and taking one of her hands into his. "Now… what is this nonsense about Robin Hood?"

Zelda's expression dropped. Of course, the knights would have told him all sorts of lies before she was able to tell her side of the story… they must have thought she'd been taken.

"He saved me - twice - and helped me get back to Hyrule Castle," she explained hurriedly. "I left him because I wanted to get home faster, and that's why I was captured. He must have alerted the knights."

King Rhoam nodded solemnly.

"And… he wields the sword that seals the darkness…"

"That's the other thing," Zelda said excitedly, "we need to talk to him. He's definitely-"

"A petty thief," the King interrupted, and Zelda gasped in return.

"No, that's not it-"

"I've heard stories of this Robin Hood before," the King continued, shaking his head as he stood up from the bed and paced in Zelda's room. "While it seems he has good intentions, how does one have the funds for all this medicine? The time to help so many? He's clearly a no-gooder, stealing and disguising it as good deeds."

"That can't be true," she protested, "he saved me, he's the only reason I-"

"You were captured by yiga! He must have had a deal with them. I'm sure they're getting everything out of him right now."

"Father!"

"Get ready for the Masquerade tonight, Zelda. I know it's been a rough few days for you, but that's no reason to not be in attendance… not when there is so much uncertainty about."

So it really was no use. Zelda was left in her room alone, but she wasn't interested in crying into her sheets. Robin had saved her - now it was her turn. But cleverness would be her only way of possibly getting to him. The usual route to the dungeons wouldn't work… but she knew another way.

When she stood, she braced herself on her nightstand table; that knight's kick had done a deal on her, but she was glad at least that it hadn't hit Robin instead. It would, however, be a pain to dance with… and she had only a few hours before the masquerade started. If she wasn't there, her father would no doubt suspect something and come looking for her… so she had to be quick.

She got ready first. Hair washed and brushed, dress on, face cleaned up. She donned a silk scarf around her neck to hide the cut the sickle had given her… wouldn't be any good for anyone else to see that.

Zelda knew she'd have to go straight from the dungeons to the masquerade. For a moment, she looked at herself in the mirror before leaving; it was disappointing, being in a blue dress when she'd desperately wanted to dye one white. She met her own gaze in the mirror, thinking briefly of the comfortable smell of Robin's hair, the way he had held her close, and reached for her... a heat rose in her chest. Really, what was with all of that, and more importantly, why did it make her feel like _this?_ She felt responsible for him, but it was more than that, now - his voice, that glimpse of blue eyes, The girl sighed, fiddled with her filigree bracelets for a moment, and then hurried out the door, heading towards the outside of the castle. All that climbing she'd done with Robin was going to come in handy, and quickly.

The outside of the castle was surprisingly free of the usual security, which she attributed to the masquerade. As she clambered downwards, dress flowing in the wind, she remembered what Robin's parting words had been: see you at the masquerade. So he was absolutely nobility. Otherwise, how would he have even known of it? But how was he planning on getting there? He'd been arrested.

When she finally found the trapdoor entrance to the dungeons outside, Zelda was careful to keep her dress lifted from the floor as she crept through. It had taken at least an hour for her to get down to the cells, and once she did, she was shocked to find the knight guards slumped against the cages… alive, but clearly defeated in some sort of battle. She bent down to the first one she found, lifted his helmet, and gently shook him until he came to. Brown eyes blinked open, surprised to see her staring down at him.

"P-princess - that knight-"

"Robin Hood?" she asked with a small smile, tilting her head.

"No," he shook his head, and Zelda looked at him quizzically.

"He used to be a knight. He was one of - no, probably was the best knight trainee we've ever had… he took us out one by one once we got in here. Said he had a-" the knight coughed- "dance to attend to. He's going to the masquerade."

"I'll find him, and send some help down for you," Zelda said with an assured nod, but before she could stand to leave, the knight's hand shot up and held her wrist.

"Princess - his name is Link."


	4. Masquerade

Hey guys - to answer a couple questions I got:

Link was born into the royal guard. He did some good deeds in his spare time/overnight and earned the "Robin Hood" nickname, though no one knew it was him. The knights arrested him because they thought he was some criminal trying to kidnap Zelda or was working with the Yiga. When they find out that it's Link, one of their old knights, they're still wary - just because he's a knight doesn't mean he can't also be a traitor.

 **Be advised for high levels of fluff ahead. You've been warned. :)**

* * *

The annual gala was as uninteresting as ever - but this time, they had to wear masks. Still, it was impossible not to tell who some people were; the King of course stood out from everyone, as did Zelda, with her long blonde hair and green eyes peeking out from under a silver mask. The ballroom had been completely decked out, which at the very least was very pretty. The lights were quite dim, and gold and silver streamers filled the high ceiling, sparkling in candlelight. There was a great spread as always, and Zelda had already helped herself to a slice (or two) of her favourite fruit tart. Otherwise, she was left to do nothing but dance with a variety of knights and nobility who played the "who can get to her first" game every time a new song began.

Another song ended, and once again, the crowd shuffled. Zelda was becoming increasingly antsy, not to mention her back hurt quite a bit still from the kick she'd received earlier - climbing down a couple stories on the outside of the castle had probably not helped with her recovery. She subtly glanced back at the candles. They had burned down quite a bit… surely the dancing would be over soon, and then she could excuse herself.

Another young man positioned himself in front of her, not eagerly or aggressively like many were prone to, but politely and with a deep bow. He was in black dress robes like the others, and as he stood, Zelda could see the thin black mask he wore over his eyes and nose. A few loose blond strands fell over his mask, but otherwise his hair was swept away into a tight ponytail. When she met his blue eyes, her heart jumped - she knew those eyes. But the mask covering his nose and brow was tough to see past, not to mention the hairstyle not being one she recognized…

She nearly forgot to curtsy back, and did so quite quickly, lifting the hem of her dress before offering her hand to the young man. With the faintest smile, he took her hand and her waist carefully, and began leading the two of them in a swaying dance to match the waltz that had begun to play.

"Have I met you before?" Zelda asked in an apologetic tone, thinking it must have been a knight trainee she'd met once, a while ago. The idea that he could be Robin - no, Link - was beyond her. She couldn't picture him as anything else but a hooded figure with a bow strapped over his back. "Your eyes… are familiar."

"I think you'll find my voice is, too," he said softly, tilting his head at her with another smile as they turned. His ponytail swept sideways, just barely sitting over his shoulder, and they continued moving in another circle. Her eyes widened. _Damn it_ \- that voice - she had heard it recently. Was he one of the knights from earlier?

"Too bad it's a masquerade," he added then, shrugging a little bit.

"That's not fair," Zelda protested, but a moment later he dipped her so low that she felt her hair brush against the tile. His hand stayed pressed on her back, and she clutched his shoulder, hoping her hand wouldn't slip. When she looked back up to meet his eyes, she realised their faces were inches apart.

"Sure it's fair - you're wearing a mask, too," he muttered, looking at her intently.

Heat flooded her cheeks. _Who does he think-_

She winced, suddenly interrupted by her own pain. The man quickly lifted her back up, and she took a moment to steady herself.

"I'm sorry - I forgot," he said hurriedly, looking at her with a worried expression. A few more blond hairs escaped, falling down over his mask; he moved to keep dancing, and Zelda followed absently, suddenly distracted as she stared at him. He was peering warily at the surrounding knights. _No way..._

"Link…?" she asked, keeping her voice low. It had to be. He looked back at her in surprise, mouth dropped open. Zelda felt a bit of accomplishment seeing colour spread across his cheekbones.

"That's - how did you find out my real name?"

"One of the knights in the dungeons told me," Zelda explained casually, "but you weren't there."

"So that's why you weren't in your room!" he exclaimed suddenly, and Zelda couldn't keep her jaw from dropping.

"You went to my room?"

"I was trying to find you. Listen, I can explain everything, but we have to talk privately," he whispered, spinning her out a moment later as the song hit its ending note. Her eyes landed on the sword sheathed under his robes, visible for just a moment - and then as she glanced around, noticed that all of the knights were holding their weapons. She looked at Link in confusion, but he only stared back at her pleadingly. It would be the only way to talk without putting both of them at risk, so Zelda gave him a curt nod. Still holding his hand, she began to lead them back through the ballroom, leaving a trail of confused and disappointed nobility men as they went.

The King was thankfully quite distracted as she pulled Link through the back doors and up into the royal quarters. A few knights passed them in the hallways, but not many, and none of them seemed to recognize Link. Thank Hylia for these masks.

When they finally arrived in her room, Zelda shut and locked the doors behind them before taking off her mask and scarf.

"That's better," she sighed, "that was so itchy."

When she looked back at Link, he was holding his mask in one hand and staring at her - for a moment she was ready to slap him, since his eyes were a bit lower than she expected - but he walked forward and gingerly touched just above her collarbone where she had been cut. Zelda was too surprised to move, but also, part of her didn't mind him being so close. There was something… safe about him.

"I was too late," he said quietly, "I'm sorry."

Zelda swallowed, reaching up and holding his hand in both of hers.

"It's okay. It's my fault for leaving. I'm sorry… for making you worry," she said quietly, squeezing his hand a little bit. He lifted his head to look at her, and the two of them stood quite close before Zelda quickly changed the topic.

"So, L- Link, the sword?" she stammered, letting go of his hand and sitting herself on the edge of her bed. "And why did all the knights downstairs have their weapons?"

"Right," he exclaimed, sounding a little breathless. He pulled it out from its sheath and laid it down on the trunk at the end of her bed. Even in the dim of the room, it seemed to shine a little. Zelda touched the blade carefully as Link began his story.

"First off, the knights have their weapons because they knew I'd escaped and would be trying to get into the masquerade. But they're not all, uh... as competent as they could be. No offense, Princess."

"None taken," Zelda replied bluntly, thoroughly aware of the occasional and surprising incompetence of her 'trained' knights. Most, she was sure, knew what they were doing - but one or two slacking off was all it took for Link to sneak into the ball, apparently. She watched him expectantly, still waiting for the rest of his story.

"Oh. Right. I've been… doing those 'Robin Hood' things for a couple years... a few months ago, I felt this calling to go to the Korok Forest. I don't know why, or how to explain it, but I found myself at the great Deku Tree. It spoke to me, and the sword was there, and… it chose me," he rambled. Zelda gave him a curious look. So he wasn't exactly a storyteller. At least he was concise.

"Do you know the legends?"

He nodded, silent, not meeting her eyes. He looked entirely disheartened as he slumped against the wall across from the bed.

"The… sword that seals the darkness. To fight Calamity Ganon with. Right?"

He glanced up at her to check, and Zelda replied with just a nod. He was silent in response, but she could tell he was deep in thought, staring down at the floor.

"Come here," she urged, patting the bed next to her. _Hylia, don't make me regret this._

Hesitantly, he moved to sit on the bed next to her, and Zelda took hold of his hands once more, stroking the tops with the tips of her thumbs. It seemed to calm him down a bit, but she was trying to comfort herself at the same time, and… something about being close to him felt… right.

"I'm scared too," she admitted. "I don't even have the sealing power awakened yet. At least you have your sword, and knight training," she reassured him, but Link only looked at her worriedly.

"How do we fight him? We're just - I mean, we're barely adults," he fretted, and Zelda could only smile sympathetically. He was so confident on the battlefield, but Ganon was a different beast entirely.

"We get help," she answered, "from the other four Champions. You'll meet them, now that you're one of us."

"Us?"

"Revali, Mipha, Urbosa, and Daruk… they pilot the four Divine Beasts," she explained with a smile, "massive, Sheikah-made contraptions."

"Right, that's what helped seal Ganon away a thousand years ago," Link added, looking a little more hopeful now. Zelda nodded.

"Yes. And… two incarnations of us," she sighed, "but the me back then had her sealing power… there's something wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you!"

Link lifted her hands, squeezing them tight between his. He met her gaze with determination.

"You're inspiring. The entire kingdom knows how hard you work. Everyone knows it. I'm positive you'll figure it out."

His words were genuine, there was no doubting that. Zelda felt herself tearing up. She heard it all the time from other nobility, from her father, but for some reason hearing it from him seemed to make her want to believe it more. Was it because he was the same as her? Destined for something without asking for it? Like the universe had chosen a fate for them, of which there was no escape… all they could do was try to make it a happy ending.

Link was still looking at her steadily, and as she looked back, she felt like she could get lost in his eyes quite easily. They were blue as Lake Hylia, but deep as the sea. Finally, she seemed to have someone she could relate to- someone like her, dealing with the pressure of having to save Hyrule from a massive, unspeakable calamity that would befall them at any given moment. It felt like whatever weight she'd had on her shoulders was suddenly just a little bit lighter… but it went a long ways.

"Thank you," she finally said, fighting to not let her tears fall. At the same time, they both leaned forwards, til just their foreheads were touching, eyes falling shut. There was something unspoken between them, and Zelda was happy to sink away in it.

"We'll be okay," he whispered, his voice breaking a little bit. Zelda had barely heard him. She was falling asleep, even as Link intertwined their fingers. She wanted to just fall asleep and wake up in the morning and have everything be okay. Everything was okay in the moment, but she knew it wouldn't last. Tomorrow would come and there would be explaining to do and consequences to face. But the two of them, right now, at least, were safe.

"Zelda?" he asked, but as he pulled his head away she fell forwards, jerking back up a moment later.

"Mm? I'm sorry," she mumbled, wiping at her eyes.

"It's okay. I should get out of here," he sighed, but as he stood from the bed, Zelda reached forward to take hold of his finger tips. Link looked back over his shoulder at her, and she kept her eyes on his.

"Can you stay?"

"Wh- are you-"

"Do you want to stay?" she asked, suddenly sounding more coherent, like she was getting ready for the disappointment of him saying no. And really, she wouldn't have blamed him... she had never invited anyone to stay in her quarters. It was absolutely forbidden. If they were caught, who knows what would happen... but in the moment, Zelda didn't care. She liked how comfortable she felt just having him next to her.

She waited for him to pull away, but Link didn't budge. His fingers twitched against hers.

"...yes, I want to."

Green eyes met blue, and Zelda gave him a sleepy smile.

"Thanks."

They fell asleep, still clothed above the covers, facing each other. Link's arm was outstretched, hand clasped comfortably in Zelda's. They were safe in the tower, thanks to the locked doors and labyrinth-like hallways between it and the ballroom. The two of them got the best rest they'd had in nights, blissfully unaware of the happenings downstairs.

Hyrule Castle was under siege.


	5. Waltz of the Flowers

**Had Tchaikovsky in mind while I wrote this one.**

 **Apologies for the abrupt ending - this fic was short and sweet and fun to write! Hope you guys enjoyed the ride. :)  
**

* * *

When Zelda woke in the morning, it took her a moment to remember what had happened the day before. Seeing Link laying across from her, barely a foot away, had been a shocker at first - but then yesterday's events came flooding back. Of course. She stayed still, studying his features as the sunlight filtered through the window and played on his cheeks. His hair tie had come undone; blonde hair fell around his face and shoulders, tangled in the collar of his white dress shirt, which was quite wrinkled now and had a few buttons undone for comfort's sake. He had longer eyelashes than she remembered, and in the moment, looked entirely vulnerable. She took a moment to remember when he had first saved her; he knew his archery, not to mention how to navigate a battlefield… she smiled. It didn't seem like the same person, now that he was here.

Carefully, she let go of his hand, and rolled over onto her back. The sun was already quite high, so they must have slept in, but… it was so quiet. No one had come to knock on her door yet. Surely by this hour, her father would be bugging her to get up and asking why she'd disappeared during the ball? Of course it was good that he hadn't, seeing as Link was still in bed with her, but…

He groaned a little from beside her, and she turned her head sideways to watch his blue eyes slowly blink open. He looked surprised for a moment, like he had also forgotten the circumstances that brought him here; his cheeks were rosier than usual, and he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

"I forgot to say thank-you, for taking that kick for me," he said, voice dry. Zelda hadn't been expecting that to be the first thing he said upon waking. "I'm sorry you got hurt."

"…you're welcome," she replied, hopeless in his blue eyes. Clouds passed outside, ensconcing them in grey for a moment before the sun came back out. Link looked like he wanted to talk a couple times, but stopped himself. Zelda waited until finally, that word passed his lips.

"Princess… I-"

"Stoooooop," Zelda drawled, sighing and turning her body on its side to face him. "I don't want to hear it."

He looked shocked, for just a moment, that she would cut him off like that, but Zelda only smiled at him and rested a hand on his cheek. Link could do nothing but stare back at her.

"I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but I really don't want to hear any more apologies or formalities from you," she admitted. "You've already done so much for me. And you've stayed overnight with me, so just consider yourself… above the usual civilities."

She could see the gears whirring behind Link's eyes, like he was trying to decipher what she'd said.

"Are you trying to say we're friends?"

It caught Zelda off guard. At first, she wanted to correct him and say no, that's not what she meant - but then again, she'd never had any real friends, not since she was little. The other noblewomen were less friends and more… necessary acquaintances. A friend was something different. Was this how it felt to be friends with someone? For your heart to jump when you saw them, and your cheeks to get warm when they looked at you or said something nice, and to want to be close to them - closer…

Zelda swallowed, quickly pulling her hand back from his cheek.

"Yes," she lied.

Link, thankfully, was more honest than her.

"I think my feelings for you… moved a bit past friendship," he said, "I'm sorry. I'll stop."

Zelda's mouth dropped open, and she promptly turned to bury her face in her pillow. Link sat up, frantic, trying to comfort her and figure out what was going on all at once.

"What - oh - I'm sorry, I apologized again - shit - Zelda, I mean - Princess - I mean, Zelda-"

"This is torture," Zelda mumbled into the pillow, and finally peeked back up at Link from the fabric. He looked confused as ever. Same. 

"Link, I've never… had a crush or anything before," she admitted, sitting up and sighing. "I just don't know what to do about how you make me feel, it's… bound to be inappropriate in some way…"

"Inappropriate," he repeated with a little bit of a scoff, "right. I forgot my place."

As he went to stand, and as Zelda realised how wrongly he had interpreted what she'd said, she jumped up to grab his hand and pull him back. As he turned back to face her, she lifted up on her knees, and in a split second decision, pressed her lips against his. Maybe that could show him everything she couldn't say with words. She was grateful for his company, and how he'd saved her… envious of his skills in battle, and having someone she could relate to was a lifesaver. Whether or not he felt the same was beyond her. But she had to get it across, somehow.

Link was clearly surprised at first, unmoving, but only for a brief moment. Relief washed over Zelda as he returned the kiss, hesitant at first but then more passionate, one of his hands lifting to cup the side of her face. When he pulled away, he looked confused - and almost offended.

"I thought it was inappropriate for a Princess to be with someone like me," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck, looking embarrassed.

"That's not what I meant," Zelda protested, watching him earnestly, "I mean for me to have had you overnight, and to have feelings for you when I shouldn't be distracted from my duties and prayer, it's… I'd get in so much trouble, Link, if my father knew."

"Oh."

Link's expression was hard to decipher. A mixture of happiness and nervousness, Zelda figured - a feeling she understood well, especially now.

"Speaking of my father," Zelda remembered, "no one has come to check on me this morning, which is… a little strange. By now, at least one of the maids would have been by…" She frowned, and Link lifted his eyes to the ceiling, thinking to himself. They spent a couple moments in thought, but the more Zelda mused on it, the worse she felt. Something in her gut told her it wasn't right.

"I think something's wrong," she said quietly, not wanting to admit it to herself. What could have happened? Was it during the ball last night? Security had been tight, since they were worried about Link… but then again, that meant the outside of the castle was relatively undefended - she remembered not running into any trouble while she headed down to the dungeons. That's it!

"The dungeons! Link! There were yiga down there with you, weren't there?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, there were," he realised, but still looked a little confused. "Why?"

"I'm afraid they might have escaped, since the guards there were taken out… not that it's really your fault, but… or else, it's possible I was followed when I snuck in…"

"You snuck in?" Link repeated, cocking his head.

"To find you," Zelda replied with a nod - "my father still thinks you're a fraud, actually," she added, smiling sheepishly at Link, whose face fell.

"Seriously? That's great," he sighed, voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Either way, something isn't right," Zelda replied, standing up from the bed and peering out the window. "Usually I can see patrols… down below…"

There were no knights down below, even as she watched. By now, a patrol would have gone by… instead, as she watched, a man in red and black walking past glanced up at the windows.

"A yiga!" Zelda exclaimed, and as she looked, her blonde hair whipped out the window in the wind. No!

Even from so far away, she could tell she'd been seen. The yiga broke into a run as Zelda ducked back into her room, looking at Link in a panic.

"We have to leave - now. The yiga must have taken over the castle. They must not have found this room… we need to find my dad."

After Zelda had changed into more comfortable, agile clothes, they left immediately. Navigating Hyrule Castle while it was crawling with yiga was not an easy task, and what's worse, the yiga had been alerted to their presence too. At first, they had no troubles - it was clear the winding and maze-like hallways that led to Zelda's room had stumped the yiga, but they were everywhere else. Thankfully, there were more than a few secret pathways in the old building, and Zelda and Link were able to duck in and out of rooms and halls as the yiga passed.

As they got closer to the ballroom, Link and Zelda exchanged confused glances; was that music? Sure enough, when they reached the small cavern behind the bookshelf that would then lead them into the ballroom, the band was still playing. Link took the lead in peeking out from behind the shelves to see what was going on. The curses that immediately followed didn't give Zelda any high hopes.

"What?" she asked, frowning at him as she stayed crouched in the darkness.

"It must have happened last night. Everyone is threre… and the King. They're hostages. And the... they're making the band keep playing... I think some of them got drunk..."

In the firelight spilling in between the bookshelf and the wall, Zelda could see Link's blue eyes widen.

"They're waiting for us. It's a trap."

"So… what do we do?"

Link stood back from the wall, and looked down at Zelda only briefly before it seemed he'd made up his mind. He drew his sword, holding it tightly and staring down the bookshelf ahead of him. Zelda didn't have time to think or react. He just said it was a trap, and he's going to barge in?!

"Your father is tied up to the left. You're fast. Get to him right away and free him if you can."

"What- Link!"

"I know you can do it," he interrupted, and he leaned down to her then, brushing his nose against hers. "You're stronger than you think, Zelda."

A quick peck on the lips and a grin flashed her way as all she got before the bookshelf was shoved forward with a kick. Tomes scattered to the floor as Link clambered to the top of it, sword drawn, glowing blue in the dim light of the ballroom.

"You want me? Come get me," he yelled, and that was all it took. Straight up panic. The knights were yelling, the common nobility shrieking in surprise. The yiga were scrambling for their weapons, trying to decide who had to stay and guard the hostages and who was to go after Link. Zelda ran for it, turning swiftly to the left once she entered and sticking close to the wall, her eyes stuck on King Rhoam, who was also staring at Link, distracted. Immediately, she threw herself behind the chair he'd been tied to; from here she could untie him and, well, hopefully not be seen. But she didn't have much time. Rhoam didn't even seem to notice that the ropes around his wrists were being untied - he was too busy watching the spectacle not ten feet away, and Zelda couldn't blame him.

As she glanced up to see what was going on, Link was deflecting blows from atop the bookshelf like he was dancing. She couldn't help that the first thought in her mind was woah, nice footwork. But it wouldn't last long. The yiga toppled the bookshelf, trapping a few of their own underneath it. Link jumped at the last moment, kicking off of the head of one of the yiga and then hitting the ground with a roll. He was quick, but at some point, the sheer number of yiga would be far too overwhelming...

Rhoam's wrists came free, and still without realising Zelda had even been there, he began to work on his ankles. Zelda looked towards the knights; their swords were hoarded not too far away from where she was, but they were only being guarded by a few yiga. Surely if they had their armor or weapons - and weren't wearing dress suits - they'd be more confident than this?

Hopefully…

Finally, Rhoam was free. He stood, clearly ready to speak - but Zelda beat him to it. She had ran and dove for a sword, lifting it above her head with surprising strength (it must be the adrenaline, she thought to herself) and yelling out in such a way that the entire room paused. It was an order, after all:

"You will fight for your kingdom!"

Both Link and Rhoam's mouths were dropped open. It was impossible to tell for the yiga, due to their masks - the knights, meanwhile, had varied expressions, but all of them let out a roar of a yell in response. While some dealt with the yiga guarding them, the rest charged for their swords; Zelda's eyes widened and she had to duck out of the way of the hoard of suited men grabbing weapons off of the floor with no care for what they picked up.

What followed was a ridiculous scene. Masquerade masks and hor'dourves littered the floor. The band, having paused to see what was going on, resumed playing. The knights, usually in full suits of armor, were instead in tight-fitting suits and bowties, but fought as if they were on a battlefield. Link's white dress shirt was stained with blood, but he didn't seem injured himself, and as Zelda looked and saw him fighting in between two yiga, she was shocked to see the etchings of a smile on his lips. Was he… enjoying himself?

Rhoam swiveled to meet her, and immediately swept her up in his arms as knights and yiga toppled over each other nearby.

"Zelda - dear Zelda, I was so worried."

"It's quite alright - now help me, will you?"

She held the sword out to her father, and the man responded eagerly, turning and yelling into the crowd. His deep voice caught more than a few of them off guard, but instead of diving into the fray, he stayed put to protect Zelda from the few yiga that had noticed she was there.

By the time the song ended, the battle was won. Their gorgeous ballroom was doused in blood, alcohol, food, and clothes. At first, no one spoke, and no one moved - until Zelda broke the silence, tripping over a couple plates as she broke into a run for the middle of the room. Link, on the other side of the room, followed suit; sheathing the master sword as he went, he met her in the middle of the ballroom and the two of them embraced. He hugged her and lifted her up off the floor, spinning her once - and then as she landed, without a second thought, kissed her.

Rhoam had no time to object. Their audience erupted into cheers, and both Link and Zelda were accosted by nobility and knights alike, lifting them into the air in celebration. Amidst the chaos, the dim light of a triangle shone upon Zelda's right hand, unnoticed.


End file.
